


A Debt Paid

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Dragonstone, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Humor, Love Confessions, Season/Series 08, Season/Series 08 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-31 10:56:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18589858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: Bronn shows up at Dragonstone to fulfill a debt with the Lannister's. Brienne steps in to protect Jaime.





	A Debt Paid

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place at Dragonstone, which is more of a creative choice than anything. It was supposed to be short and then words just kept happening.

Jaime takes a deep breath, breathing in the salty air. He’s been a lot of places in the Seven Kingdoms, but this is his first time visiting Dragonstone. He supposes it’s not really visiting. More like hiding. 

After their loss at Winterfell, the survivors had fled. Most of them had wound up here. They all know this war is far from over, but they’re not sure how to win it. If they even can. 

The thought that in the end they’ll all just be another member of the undead army makes him shiver. It can’t come to that. There has to be a way to win.

“Ser Jaime.”

Jaime doesn’t have to turn around to know who’s joined him. He’d know that voice anywhere. He’s heard it in his dreams more often than he would ever admit. At least out loud. 

“Ser Brienne.”

She moves to stand next to him, resting her arms on the cool concrete. “Is something troubling you?”

Jaime almost laughs at that. “A lot is troubling me. The biggest one being our survival.”

“You don’t think we can win?” she asks him.

“I want to believe we can,” Jaime says, turning his head to look at her. “But you saw them, Brienne. You fought them. They’re different than anything we’ve ever fought.”

“I know,” she says. “Not a lot can scare me, but they do.”

“You’re smart to be afraid,” he tells her. “It might just keep you alive.”

“Unfortunately I don’t think the same can be said for you.”

Jaime stills at the sound of the voice. It’s one he wasn’t sure he’d ever hear again. Brienne stares over his shoulder, her brow furrowed in confusion. 

Jaime makes himself turn his back to her so that he can face Bronn. He understands Brienne’s confusion when he sees the crossbow in Bronn’s hands.

“Bronn,” Jaime says, trying to keep his voice level. Unconcerned. “Have you come to join the fight?”

“I can’t say that I have,” Bronn says. “I’m here to fulfill a debt. And sadly for you, that ends with you dead.”

“Is this about your castle?” Jaime asks him. “Because I can…”

“You’re in no position to make promises right now,” Bronn tells him. “This is about gold.”

“Someone is paying you,” Jaime guesses. “Who?”

“Your sister.”

The words don’t hold much impact. Not now. He’s always known Cersei was cold and ruthless. He shouldn’t be surprised that she would stoop this low. Not after the way they parted. He just assumed she’d want the honor of watching him and Tyrion die. Apparently not.

“I see,” Jaime says.

“It’s nothing personal,” Bronn says. “I do like you, and your brother.”

“She’s just making it worth your while,” Jaime finishes.

Bronn shrugs, “A man has to make a living.”

“I thought you were being paid considerably well,” Jaime muses.

“Aye I was. Your sister is just paying me more.”

He levels the bow higher, aiming right at Jaime’s heart. Jaime has a moment to wonder if this is really how he’s going to die. If he survived fighting an army of the undead just to go out like this.

Brienne steps in front of Jaime so suddenly that Jaime stumbles back a step. "I won't let you kill him." 

Bronn raises an eyebrow, “You know I could kill you and then kill him?"

"Not if he leaves," Brienne says.

"I'm not leaving you to die," Jaime tells her.

“Well I’m not letting you die either.”

Bronn sighs, "The bloody things people do for love." 

A look of realization crosses Jaime’s face as it hits him that yes, he does love her. And here she is, standing in front of him, preparing to take an arrow to the chest to save him. The things we do for love indeed.

Bronn sighs again, "Oh for fucks sake. You both know it. Just kiss her already and put us all out of our misery."

"I thought you were going to kill us?" Jaime asks, stepping to the side so he can get a better look at Bronn.

Bronn narrows his eyes, "I will if you don't do what you've both been wanting to for years."

“So you’ll let us live if I kiss her?” Jaime questions.

Bronn shrugs, “I never wanted to kill you.”

“Well you’re certainly good at pretending,” Jaime tells him.

Bronn points a finger at him, “And you’re good at deflecting. But don’t think I’m going to let you out of this one.”

“Shouldn’t this be on our own terms?” Jaime asks.

“If that were the case then you two wouldn’t admit you bloody love each other until you’re dead. Maybe not even then. You’d be two corpses left wondering what might have been.”

“How romantic,” Jaime replies dryly.

“Oh for…” 

Jaime takes a step back when Brienne spins around to face him. He catches a glimpse of the fierce determination in her eyes before he finds himself yanked forward by his coat and suddenly her lips are on his. 

It takes him longer than he’d like to admit for his body to catch up with his brain, which is screaming at him that Brienne is kissing him.  _ She’d _ kissed  _ him _ . 

He’s just started kissing her back when she pulls away. He blinks his eyes open, and takes her in. Her cheeks are pink and she’s averting her eyes. Jaime looks over to see Bronn raising an eyebrow at him before gesturing to Brienne. He mouths the word “talk” before turning and walking away. 

“Brienne?”

“I was saving our lives,” Brienne says.

Jaime smiles, “You know he wasn’t really going to kill us.”

“He may have just out of frustration,” Brienne tells him.

“True,” Jaime says. He tilts his head as he studies her face. “Is that really the only reason you kissed me?”

“Did you not want me to kiss you?” Brienne asks him.

“I didn’t say that,” Jaime says. “I just want to be sure that you wanted to kiss me, and it wasn’t under duress.”

“I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t want to,” Brienne says. “You know that.”

Jaime nods, “Good.”

“What’s next?”

“Do you mean overall or with us?” Jaime asks her.

“Both maybe,” Brienne says.

Jaime smiles, “Well in the immediate future I should probably find Tyrion. I doubt I’m the only one Bronn came here to kill.”

“How did he know you were here?” 

“With the North fallen to the Night King there weren’t a lot of places we could go,” Jaime says. “He probably figured that out.”

“So we’ll go find Tyrion,” Brienne says.

They make their way back to the castle in companionable silence. It’s not until they reach the doors that Jaime stops to address her. “After all of this is over I want to go to Tarth to talk to your father.”

“My father?”

“You wanted to know what was next for us,” Jaime shrugs.

He opens the door and starts down the hall. It’s a few seconds later that he hears Brienne hurrying after him. “Jaime! Was that your way of asking for my hand?”

He turns his head towards her, “Of course not. I plan to ask your father his permission first.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I am,” Jaime says. “Unless, of course, you don’t want me to.”

“I just think the whole idea of asking someone’s father for their hand is a bit much. As much as I respect my father and value his opinion, he’s not the ones getting married. It shouldn’t be up to him.”

“So no going to Tarth and talking to your father,” Jaime says, giving a firm nod.

He doesn’t say anything else. He keeps walking the halls in search of Tyrion. He knows he’s probably in with Daenerys, but there’s no way he’s walking in on that. He’s been avoiding the dragon queen ever since they arrived, afraid she might suddenly change her mind and decide she does want to execute him after all. And there’s not much anyone else would be able to say to convince her otherwise, he knows. 

No, he’s better off waiting for Tyrion to be done. He doubts even Bronn is brazen enough to try and kill Tyrion in front of the queen. 

“I didn’t mean I wouldn’t marry you,” Brienne says suddenly.

Jaime’s eyes move in her direction, “I know you didn’t.”

“I just meant that if, or when, the time comes it should be between the two of us.”

Jaime smiles, “I understand, and you’re right.”

Brienne nods, and they fall into silence again. He knows he easily could stop and ask for her hand right here and now. But he doesn’t. Brienne deserves better than some poorly planned proposal. 

Jaime hears Tyrion’s voice ahead, and walks towards it. He frowns when he walks into the room to see Tyrion sitting at a table with a glass of wine in his hand, and Bronn and Pod next to him.

“Ah Jaime. Ser Brienne. I hear congratulations are in order!” Tyrion says.

“What are we being congratulated for?” Jaime asks, stepping further into the room. Brienne follows at a slower pace.

“Finally figuring it out,” Tyrion says. “I hear she’s the one that made the first move. Bold. I approve.”

“Am I supposed to thank him?” Brienne asks Jaime quietly.

Jaime grins, “I’m never sure.”

“They already have marital secrets and they’re not even wed,” Tyrion says. He narrows his eyes at Jaime. “You are asking her, aren’t you?”

Jaime rolls his eyes and grabs a cup from the table, pouring one out. He holds it out to Brienne. “You might need it.”

She hesitates a moment, before taking it from him. He pours himself a cup and takes a slow drink, aware of Tyrion still waiting for an answer. He decides to skip answering altogether. He pulls out a chair for Brienne, and waits for her to sit, before taking a seat across from Tyrion. “So Bronn here decided not to kill you.”

“I’m keeping my options open,” Bronn says with a shrug.

“I think he likes me too much to kill me,” Tyrion says. “And he knows Podrick here would never forgive him. And no one wants Pod angry at them.”

“True,” Bronn says. “Then I’d never know what really happened with the whores and that magic cock of his.”

“And that’s the only reason we’re still alive?” Tyrion asks.

Bronn shrugs, “I thought about it, and I decided that you lot didn’t survive a fight with the fucking dead just to come here and be murdered by me.”

“You know this means you’ve now made yourself an enemy of Cersei,” Jaime tells him.

Bronn shrugs, “Podrick will protect me. Won’t you, Pod?”

“I’m pretty sure you’re one of the last people that needs someone else protecting them,” Podrick says.

Bronn raises his cup in Podrick’s direction, “Damn right I am.”

“Are we celebrating something?”

All heads turn to where Daenerys Targaryen is standing in the door. Jon Snow and Sansa Stark are just behind her.

“Jaime and Ser Brienne of Tarth’s engagement,” Tyrion says, raising a cup in their direction.

The denial is there, on the tip of his tongue. But he’s tired of denying it. Not when he does plan to ask her.

“You’re getting married?” Sansa asks. 

Jaime looks over at Brienne. She’s watching him, her face guarded. He leans in, keeping his voice low. “I was planning to find a better way to ask you. We can tell them no. You’ve never said…”

She reaches over and puts her hand on his arm, “I want to marry you, Jaime.” Louder she says. “We are.”

He hears clapping and then Sansa is there, hugging Brienne from behind. “I’m happy for you.”

“I guess congratulations are in order,” Jon says.

“When did you ask her?” Sansa asks, taking a seat next to Brienne.

Jaime raises an eyebrow and she smiles, turning to look at Sansa. “A little while ago on the bridge.”

“Was that before or after Bronn tried to kill you?” Tyrion asks them.

“Bronn tried to kill you?” Sansa asks, looking alarmed.

“I wouldn’t say I tried,” Bronn says. “If I’d really tried they’d be dead. I more, threatened to do it.”

“Why?” Jon asks. “I thought you were friends.”

“My sister,” Tyrion says. “She sent him to kill both Jaime and I.”

Daenerys narrows her eyes, “Did she now?”

“Nothing to worry about,” Tyrion says. “She underestimated Bronn’s loyalty.”

“And who is he loyal to?”

“Well it used to be to gold,” Bronn says. “Now it’s to my friends. How far I’ve fallen.”

“Some would say you’ve become a better person,” Tyrion says.

“A better one maybe, but definitely poorer.”

Jaime smiles, “I for one am glad for your change of heart, it means I’m alive.” He looks over at Brienne. “We’re alive.”

“I never would have killed her,” Bronn says. “I don’t kill people just for the fun of it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive,” Bronn says. 

“You know Cersei isn’t going to be happy about you not killing them,” Sansa says.

“That’s not the only thing she’s not going to be happy about,” Tyrion muses, taking a drink of his wine.

Jaime knows what Tyrion is referring to. It won’t be long before talk of Jaime and Brienne’s engagement gets back to Cersei.

“Oh she’s going to be absolutely furious,” Tyrion says, looking pleased. “Everything is slipping out of her control.”

“You know that’s only going to drive her to be more ruthless,” Jaime tells him.

“Yes, but that also means she’s bound to slip up. And when she does, we’ll be ready.”

“And if she sends someone to kill Brienne?” Sansa asks. “I doubt they’ll be as easy to talk out of it as Bronn was.”

“We’ll be ready for them too,” Tyrion says.

“But you don’t even know who you’re looking for,” Sansa argues.

“It doesn’t matter,” Brienne says. “Cersei can send all the assassins she wants, it’s not going to deter us.”

Jaime smiles, “Of course it’s not.”

“So when is the wedding?” Jon asks.

“We haven’t had a chance to talk about that yet,” Jaime replies.

“The sooner the better I say,” Tyrion says.

“You might as well get married before you’re dead,” Bronn adds.

“That is usually the goal,” Jaime says.

“I hardly think we need to be worrying about a wedding right now,” Brienne says. “With everything else that’s going on.”

“Oh but that’s exactly why we need one,” Sansa says. “It would be nice to be able to celebrate something rather than always worrying about what’s to come.”

“Lady Sansa is right,” Daenerys says. “I think a wedding would be a lovely idea.”

Brienne turns to Jaime, her eyes holding a silent question. He stands up, and offers Brienne his hand. “Excuse me, your grace. I think Brienne and I need to discuss this matter in private.”

“Of course,” Daenerys says.

Jaime leads Brienne out of the room and down the hall. He stops once they’re a safe distance away and turns to face her. “You liked like you were ready to run from the room.”

“I probably would have if it wouldn’t have appeared rude,” Brienne tells him.

“You know they’re not going to let this drop,” Jaime says. 

“I know.”

“But I also think this decision should be between us,” Jaime goes on. “I want to marry you, Brienne. Whether that’s tomorrow or years from now. The when doesn’t matter. I’m leaving that up to you.”

“I think we’ve waited long enough,” Brienne says. “And we don’t know what the future holds. But whatever it is, I want us to figure it out together.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I think we should go back in and tell them we’re having a wedding,” Brienne says. 

Jaime smiles and kisses her softly, “Then we will.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/Comments make my day. ♥  
> [My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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